Monday, November 02, 2009

The Fine Line by Grace Anna Farrow

Grace did it! Self-published, knitting Sensei! Or is she more like a Samurai! (Teacher/Fearless Warrior ...) The shawls are gorgeous!

First there was Volt!

then Dawn!

then Smolder!

Then I wished Grace had blocked Shale, but the more I looked at it, the more I loved it the way it was. Then there was Horizon and Dusk. But no matter how many times I flipped the booklet open (which was lots), I knew I was going to make either Dawn or Volt first.

So, I swatched for Dawn (only because I wound the yarn first) and found this awesome picture of the sunrising in Edinburgh, Scotland - stunningly beautiful!

I decided to make shrimp the contrast and mulberry the first color, but when I started the project mulberry was to dark and shrimp washed out. Frogged! Two nights of swatching, I was going mad! I've got to get started. So, I started with shrimp (like original) and used mulberry as contrast. Here's how I re-sketched it from Grace's original sketch.Doesn't look too bad (of course the center is not in mulberry.

I was a little frightened, so off to Loop I went. Craig, "what do you think?" Was the second thing I asked (the first was to wind my yarn for Volt), and I completely missed Mark sitting there at the table knitting yall! Mark had needles and yarn in his hands - I said, WOW, I honestly had never seen Mark knitting. Craig said, "Grace would be proud." Well, I am seriously hoping he's right. I started feeling a little better. And today, meeting my BFF Mary at lunch, she said "gorgeous, the mulberry POPS," so now the knot in my gut is dissipating - thank you Craig and Mary.

And yes to all of you out there wondering, I put everything else I have on needles on hold! I dropped everything when the book arrived. I love knitting shawls!